Trump turns on critics over FBI chief firing

WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES- President Donald Trump lashed out against his critics in a fresh Twitter attack Wednesday following his unprecedented firing of FBI chief James Comey.
Democrats have pounced on the president amid a massive backlash over his sudden decision to fire Comey on Tuesday as the agency investigates whether Trump's campaign aides colluded with Russia in an attempt to sway November's US election in the Republican's favor.

"The Democrats have said some of the worst things about James Comey, including the fact that he should be fired, but now they play so sad!" Trump said in a series of morning tweets. He referred to Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer as "cryin' Schumer" late Tuesday. The FBI director had antagonized all sides -- first angering Republicans by closing a probe into Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's emails last summer, and then Democrats by reopening it days before the November presidential election. She has said the move helped Trump win. The president cited Comey's handling of both investigations -- into Clinton's emails and possible Russian election meddling -- to justify his decision to fire him. "The question is why did it happen last night?" Schumer said on the Senate floor. "We know director Comey was leading an investigation in whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians, a serious offense. Were those investigations getting too close to home for the president?" He called for a briefing on Comey's firing before the full Senate. - 'Cried like a baby' - Senator Richard Blumenthal joined other Democrats in calling for an independent counsel and special prosecutor to look into the allegations of Russian election meddling. "What we have now is really a looming constitutional crisis that is deadly serious because there is an investigation ongoing... and ultimately there may be subpoenas to the president of the United States," Blumenthal told CNN. Trump then turned on Blumenthal, saying he should be the one to be investigated due to past controversial statements he made about his own military service during the Vietnam War. "Watching Senator Richard Blumenthal speak of Comey is a joke. 'Richie' devised one of the greatest military frauds in US history," Trump wrote. "For years, as a pol in Connecticut, Blumenthal would talk of his great bravery and conquests in Vietnam - except he was never there. When caught, he cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness... and now he is judge & jury. He should be the one who is investigated for his acts." Blumenthal dismissed Trump's accusations, saying: "his bullying won't silence my calls for an independent special prosecutor." The president also labeled as "fake news" reports that his former advisor Roger Stone -- who is under FBI scrutiny as part of its Russian election interference probe -- was among those who recommended firing Comey. And he retweeted a link from the conservative-leaning Drudge Report website about "10 scandals" during Comey's tenure. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------